1
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else
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2
as in to dissimulate
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dissemble
You’d like your government to tell you the truth, and the government dissembled repeatedly after the raid about what the rules of engagement were.
—
Aryeh Neier, The New York Review of Books, 3 Mar. 2025
Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024
That same week, Altman made headlines at a Senate hearing by asking to be regulated — wowing senators who were more accustomed to tech CEOs dissembling or responding evasively to questions.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
That year, with 23,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, the administration was still dissembling about the American role in the war.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Aryeh Neier, The New York Review of Books, 3 Mar. 2025
Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024
That same week, Altman made headlines at a Senate hearing by asking to be regulated — wowing senators who were more accustomed to tech CEOs dissembling or responding evasively to questions.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
That year, with 23,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, the administration was still dissembling about the American role in the war.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissemble
Verb
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Tapping into his State Farm acting chops on fourth down while leading 7-0, Mahomes pretended to be frustrated with a Reid play-call before handing the ball off.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
21 Oct. 2025
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In the finale, Brandis pretends not to see the million-dollar stash in Maeve's possession and zips the bag back up, looking up as birds sing.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So there’s a risk in assuming that there’s somebody guarding the gates and that the technology will only go so far.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
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Likewise, a detailed historical analysis by Nancy Morawetz, Professor of Clinical Law at New York University School of Law, and Natasha Fernández-Silber immigration attorney and researcher, cautions against assuming there is a comprehensive, one-size-fits-all registration system.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the primary bath, the space is lined with $750,000 worth of ivory onyx tile featuring a $20,000 Toto Zero-Gravity tub that simulates floating.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
15 Oct. 2025
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Their test setup involved a ramp containing sand to simulate sloping dunes on Mars.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dissemble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissemble. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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